Report: Emanuel Spoke Directly to Blago About Senate Seat

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder.

Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however.

A source with the Obama camp strongly denied Emanuel spoke with the governor directly about the seat, saying Emanuel only spoke with Blagojevich once recently to say he was taking the chief of staff post.

But sources with knowledge of the investigation said Blagojevich told his aides about the calls with Emanuel and sometimes gave them directions afterward. Sources said that early on, Emanuel pushed for the appointment of Jarrett to the governor and his staff and asked that it be done by a certain date.

At least some of the conversations between Emanuel and Blagojevich were likely caught on tape, sources said.

As Jerry Seinfeld said of George Costanza: "Sometimes I get the feeling he's not being completely straight with me."

Note well the Obama camp insisting that they continue to be protected by the media -- the vigorous denials of an aid, trying to knock the story down.

Also note that, despite this report, it's mostly working. Mostly.

What's going on here? Either 1) Emanuel pitched various ideas of payoffs, possibly illegal, possibly legal but unethical and looking very bad,and they really do have something to hide, or 2) they have gone into "Deny Deny Deny" mode, trying to spin and obfuscate every single inch of a story, even when they've done nothing particularly blameworthy. They'd rather lie than take the minor political hit the truth would incur, and they have full confidence the media will carry their water for them.